Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

The Global Space-Based Inter-Calibration System

M. Goldberg NOAA/NESDIS, Camp Springs, Maryland

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G. Ohring NOAA/NESDIS, Camp Springs, Maryland

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J. Butler NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, Maryland

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C. Cao NOAA/NESDIS, Camp Springs, Maryland

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R. Datla National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland

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D. Doelling NASA LARC, Hampton, Virginia

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V. Gärtner European Space Agency, Darmstadt, Germany

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T. Hewison European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, Darmstadt, Germany

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B. Iacovazzi NOAA/NESDIS, Camp Springs, Maryland

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D. Kim Korea Meteorological Administration, Seoul, South Korea

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T. Kurino Japan Meteorological Agency, Tokyo, Japan

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J. Lafeuille WMO, Geneva, Switzerland

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P. Minnis NASA LARC, Hampton, Virginia

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D. Renaut Centre National d'Études Spatiales, Paris, France

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J. Schmetz European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, Darmstadt, Germany

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D. Tobin University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin

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L. Wang NOAA/NESDIS, Camp Springs, Maryland

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F. Weng NOAA/NESDIS, Camp Springs, Maryland

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X. Wu NOAA/NESDIS, Camp Springs, Maryland

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F. Yu NOAA/NESDIS, Camp Springs, Maryland

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P. Zhang China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, China

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T. Zhu NOAA/NESDIS, Camp Springs, Maryland

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Online Publication:
01 Apr 2011
Print Publication:
01 Apr 2011
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/2010BAMS2967.1
Page(s):
467–475
Restricted access

The Global Space-based Inter-Calibration System (GSICS) is a new international program to assure the comparability of satellite measurements taken at different times and locations by different instruments operated by different satellite agencies. Sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization and the Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites, GSICS will intercalibrate the instruments of the international constellation of operational low-earth-orbiting (LEO) and geostationary earth-orbiting (GEO) environmental satellites and tie these to common reference standards. The intercomparability of the observations will result in more accurate measurements for assimilation in numerical weather prediction models, construction of more reliable climate data records, and progress toward achieving the societal goals of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems. GSICS includes globally coordinated activities for prelaunch instrument characterization, onboard routine calibration, sensor intercomparison of near-simultaneous observations of individual scenes or overlapping time series, vicarious calibration using Earth-based or celestial references, and field campaigns. An initial strategy uses high-accuracy satellite instruments, such as the NASA Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)'s Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES) Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI), as space-based reference standards for intercalibrating the operational satellite sensors. Examples of initial intercalibration results and future plans are presented. Agencies participating in the program include the Centre National d'Études Spatiales, China Meteorological Administration, EUMETSAT, Japan Meteorological Agency, Korea Meteorological Administration, NASA, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and NOAA.

The Global Space-based Inter-Calibration System (GSICS) is a new international program to assure the comparability of satellite measurements taken at different times and locations by different instruments operated by different satellite agencies. Sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization and the Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites, GSICS will intercalibrate the instruments of the international constellation of operational low-earth-orbiting (LEO) and geostationary earth-orbiting (GEO) environmental satellites and tie these to common reference standards. The intercomparability of the observations will result in more accurate measurements for assimilation in numerical weather prediction models, construction of more reliable climate data records, and progress toward achieving the societal goals of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems. GSICS includes globally coordinated activities for prelaunch instrument characterization, onboard routine calibration, sensor intercomparison of near-simultaneous observations of individual scenes or overlapping time series, vicarious calibration using Earth-based or celestial references, and field campaigns. An initial strategy uses high-accuracy satellite instruments, such as the NASA Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)'s Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES) Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI), as space-based reference standards for intercalibrating the operational satellite sensors. Examples of initial intercalibration results and future plans are presented. Agencies participating in the program include the Centre National d'Études Spatiales, China Meteorological Administration, EUMETSAT, Japan Meteorological Agency, Korea Meteorological Administration, NASA, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and NOAA.

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